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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. scale — size or range
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — to handle
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. content — the amount
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — a face
  16. swing — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com